Kauai Real Estate Update-It was slow last week for properties going under contract which, given the approaching hurricane, is understandable.For a list of what Sold, was Just Listed and what went Under Contract click here: Kauai Real Estate Update August 10 to August 16th, 2026
Poipu Beach Real Estate Update-For the fee simple real estate activity since the beginning of the year click here: Poipu Beach Fee Simple Current Market Analysis
For the Kiahuna Plantation click here: Kiahuna Plantation Current Market Analysis
Hurricane Lala
News of the approaching hurricane dominated the news last week for our entire state. My husband and I did our supply shopping on Friday, the stores and Costco gas station were very busy but it didn’t feel like panic shopping.
In Poipu; Saturday was a mix of clouds and rain that continued to build throughout the day and into the evening.
Starting Saturday morning, the news was covering the status of the approaching hurricane and when (and how) each island could potentially be impacted. The eye of the hurricane was initially projected to hit South Point on the Big Island.But instead, as the hurricane approached the state, it stayed towards the south and broke up but we all found out that this didn’t matter that much in terms of the damage that could, and did, happen.
Lala was downgraded to a Tropical Storm by the time it hit The Big Island which is the island that took the brunt of storm and had the most damage. Over 100 homes were damaged or lost and over 100,000 people have no power, some communities are still completely cut off due to roads that had been destroyed.
The storm continued and bands of rain and wind moved up the island chain. By the time it got to Kauai it had weakened considerably and, from what I’ve been able to tell, damage has been minimal (comparatively).
Our Governor and Mayors all requested we stay home and off the roads. The County of Kauai canceled their Tropical Storm warning at 8:05 p.m. Sunday night.
Monday was a day for digging our way out, cleaning up and assessing the damage done. All state offices (with the exception of disaster and emergency), schools and the courts were closed.
The Path Of Hurricane Lala
AI, Fake News And Hurricane Lala
The news of Hurricane Lala made the headlines across the U.S., it also inspired people to spread unhelpful and inaccurate news.
It was reported on our news that people were creating fake AI content about our storm and putting it on social media which freaked out those that couldn’t tell it was false. Dramatic storm videos of other parts of the world and of past storms here in our State were posted as Hurricane Lala.
The amount of AI slop on a normal day is exhausting, it’s next level when our newscasters are telling people to not pay attention to it.
How Overpricing Shows Up In Kauai Real Estate
Last week I discussed the Endowment Effect which leads to over pricing a property. So what does that look like once a property hits the market?
One place it shows up is with improvements. Sellers value what they’ve invested. Buyers value the result—and those numbers are not always the same.
That difference can create a familiar pattern: a property enters the market above buyer expectations, activity is limited, days on market accumulate, price reductions follow, and it eventually sells closer to where the market indicated its value in the first place—or it doesn’t sell.
There are markets where overpricing works, particularly when inventory is extremely limited. But they are the exception.
Today’s buyers have access to comparable sales, listing history, neighborhood information—and yes, ChatGPT—before scheduling a showing.
A seller values what they’ve put into a property. A buyer values what the property offers them. That distinction matters.
Oahu, Maui and Big Island Real Estate Year-To-Date 2026 vs 2025
The numbers are in for Oahu, Maui and the Big Island to compare where we are at for the first seven months of this year compared to this same time last year.
